great location, walking distance to everything. the hotel needs a bit of updating though but very affordable. i wouldn't mind staying here again. they have free lei making classes every wednesday but check with reception to make sure!

Very friendly, accomodating staff! The rooms are large and spacious. The beds are small (doubles) and we were concerned but they were extremely comfortable. It is very dated but very clean. The location was great to walk to Waikiki Beach and shopping. We stayed two nights - one when we flew in and one when we flew out. We stayed ion the other side of the island the rest of the time. Chose this plce based on the price and location. We were not disappointed. If you want a large, clean, inexpensive room, friendly staff and don't care that the decor is dated then this is the place for you!

This review will sounds just like all the others. Yes...the hotel rooms need updating. But...if they did the updates, the prices would be unaffordable for most of us. As they are now, they are extremely clean and each day, the maids leave shampoo, soap, face cleaner and other goodies...amenities you would expect in a five star hotel. We had a one bedroom suite which came with a full kitchen, breakfast bar, two 32-inch flat screen HDTV's (in living room and bedroom), a stereo, two telephones and all the amenities we needed for our 10-day stay. The hotel itself is positioned right in the thick of it in Waikiki...just a couple of blocks from the beach and the room was just $198 per night with FREE PARKING...which is unheard of in a hotel in Waikiki!
So when you're judging the worn places on the sofa and chairs, you just have to keep in mind that if you were looking at brand new furniture, you'd be paying over $350 per night. We flew first class in to Honolulu on Hawaiian Air....and the dated furniture didn't bother us in the least. Actually, we thought the room was quite charming....rattan and floral patterns suited us just fine. The most important thing I can convey, however, is about the food in Waikiki. If you want value in dining...get out of Waikiki. Be sure to find your way to Lobster King on King Street. Unfortunately, we only heard about it on our final day...but it was incredible. It's where the locals eat. In fact, I think we were the only non-Asians there. I ordered the roast duck for $11.95 and, as a lover of roast duck, I can say it was the best I've ever eaten. My husband loved his Mongolian Beef as well. I just wished we'd found the place early in our stay. It's only about 3 miles from the hotel and worth the bus or taxi trip (we had a rent car). Go around 2:30pm. Otherwise you'll have to wait an hour to get seated....it's that good. As for the Ilima Hotel....don't be afraid. If you're not on a limited budget and the sky's the limit....stay at the Royal Hawaiian or the Moana Hotel...the two oldest, most glorious hotels in Waikiki. But, if you're on a budget...stay at the Ilima like we did, then go to those two hotels and enjoy them for dinner. On our final night, we dropped $200 at the Royal Hawaiian for dinner and it was worth every penny as we dined on the lanai by the beach. Saving money at the Ilima allowed us this final night splurge. It also allowed us to play golf at Turtle Bay and Ko'Oalau. I guess it depends on where you place your priorities. FYI - we also had a smoking room...Ilima is one of the few hotels in Honolulu which still has a smoking floor.